


Formal Medical Examination: SCP-1003-1

by thephilosophersapprentice



Series: File:SCP-1003 [3]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, SCP Foundation
Genre: Alphonse to the rescue!, Edward Elric does not like needles, Gen, Lumbar puncture/spinal tap, Medical Procedures, Needles, Tim Marcoh is good at being a doctor, discussion of dehumanization
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23453497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thephilosophersapprentice/pseuds/thephilosophersapprentice
Summary: “What about me?” Al asked. “I moved those jerks out of my way without touching them.”Marcoh stared at them both gravely. “I’ll do my best to ensure the two of you are not separated. I think that today’s incident proves that nothing can keep the two of you apart.”
Relationships: Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric, Edward Elric & Tim Marcoh
Series: File:SCP-1003 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683049
Comments: 3
Kudos: 82





	Formal Medical Examination: SCP-1003-1

Edward was nearing the end of his patience.

He had been nearing the end of his patience for the past four hours, and had a feeling that the unprecedented elasticity of his patience would be followed by an equally unprecedented snap.

He had been poked and prodded by an endless horde of white-coated researchers and lab assistants, all of whom he doubted had actual medical degrees. Currently, he was sitting on the edge of the examination table, his prosthetic leg on full display, wearing only loose shorts. For the most part, they were just an annoying buzz. He could zone them out. He _could_. But they kept prodding at him, demanding that he take off his prosthetic so he could be weighed without it, measuring height, the spread of his arms, a thousand other frankly unnecessary details—swabbing his cheeks and rushing the results into test tubes.

“No, we’ll do blood later. Big one first, right?” the voice filtered into Ed’s awareness. Before he knew what was happening, his arms were grabbed and his shoulders pressed forward, forcing him to hunch over. Something cold was swabbed across his back.

“Hold still, now,” the voice said. “Struggle and you’ll hurt yourself.”

Then the needle pressed into his lower back at the spine.

The pressure and alarm were worse than the pain. It was all Ed could do not to scream. His whole body tensed. All he could hear was the rush of blood in his ears. Time seemed to stretch cruelly. All he could do was wait for it to be over.

_Please. Get it out. GET IT OUT!_

The door slammed open and banged against the wall, cracked and hanging only loosely on one hinge. Ed’s head jerked up at the same time the researcher jostled the needle. Ed gasped, tears leaking from his eyes.

“Leave him alone!” Al shouted. “Get that _thing_ out of him!”

The whole room stood frozen. Al passed through the researchers; they parted as if pushed even though he wasn’t touching them. The two assistants holding Ed’s arms and shoulders had their fingers pried from him without a hand laid on them and were pushed unceremoniously toward opposing corners of the room. Al took Ed’s hands. “Breathe, Ed. It’s going to be all right, okay?” He smiled reassuringly. Then he glanced over Ed’s shoulder at the one researcher who hadn’t been shoved out of the way. “Get it out of him. _Now_.” Al’s voice was cold and commanding. Edward heard the researcher swallow distinctly. Then the pressure was removed, replaced with something not nearly as invasive—just fingers pressing against the puncture site.

“Breathe, Ed,” Al said gently. “In, two, three, four, five, six, seven… hold… out, two, three, four, five…” Al’s voice was soothing, drawing his mind away from _trapped_ and _helpless_ , into a soothing fog.

Then Marcoh was there, demanding answers from the cowering staff. They taped gauze over the site and Al wrapped a blanket around Ed’s bare shoulders.

“That wasn’t me,” Edward said in an undertone.

Al laughed. “Guess they’re going to have to keep me with you after all, huh?”

Doubt crept into Ed’s chest, but he smiled back at Al. “You sure you don’t rather you’d kept it secret?”

“You’re more important,” Al whispered, wrapping his arms around Ed. Ed blinked back a very different kind of tears.

“No more tests today,” Marcoh said firmly. “From now on, medical testing is only permitted with me present. I’ll see you all at your disciplinary proceedings. No one who has not taken the Hippocratic Oath is to touch either of these boys until further notice.”

“But sir—” one of the techs began.

Marcoh gave him a stern look that stopped him cold. “No buts. No more testing. Where have you put Ten-oh-Three-One’s clothing?”

The cowed man pointed to a desk in the corner. Marcoh snatched up the garments—the only normal clothes Ed still owned—and turned to Ed and Al. “Boys, my office, please.” He led them down the hall and across to a small but not impersonal space, firmly closing the door behind them and dropping the blinds over the window in the door. “Edward, if you want some privacy while you dress, just say the word.”

Ed began to button up his shirt. “I’m okay.” He gave a bitter, self-conscious laugh. “You don’t need to make concessions to me. I’m only a skip, after all.”

Marcoh turned toward him very seriously. “Where did you hear that word?”

“What, skip?”

Marcoh’s expression was pained as he nodded.

“All the technicians were saying it.”

“ _Never_ use it to put yourself down, Edward.” Marcoh inhaled slowly. “You still believe you’re human, do you not? Even though you have anomalous abilities now?”

“I… I don’t know…” Ed stammered.

“Are you human?” Marcoh rephrased.

Ed nodded, hesitantly, eyes wide.

“Then you deserve to be treated with dignity, even if you can’t leave this facility.” Marcoh sighed deeply. “I’ve worked with the foundation for most of my adult life now, and those researchers’ attitude was one I’ve seen too many times. They look at you and see your designation, not the person carrying it. They see the anomaly and not the human. Human or anomaly—that’s oversimplifying it. You can be _both_. And if you know yourself to be human, then you must not let anyone take your humanity from you.” Marcoh made eye contact with Ed. “You are not a monster. Do you understand?”

Edward nodded.

“When we have to continue medical testing, I will be overseeing and if it becomes too much for you, you can tell us to stop at any time.”

Ed nodded again.

“What about me?” Al asked. “I moved those jerks out of my way without touching them.”

Marcoh stared at them both gravely. “I’ll do my best to ensure the two of you are not separated. I think that today’s incident proves that nothing can keep the two of you apart.”

Ed opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He tried to swallow down the lump in his throat in vain.

“Did you want to say something?” Marcoh asked, not unkindly.

 _Thank you_ , Ed mouthed voicelessly.

Marcoh patted his shoulder. “You’re welcome.”

Ed clung to the hand.

He wasn’t quite sure how he got there, but a few minutes later, he was breathing in shuddering gulps of air after sobbing his heart out on the doctor’s shoulder.

Al patted his shoulder. Ed didn’t know how everything could turn out all right when the future was so uncertain. He just wanted it to be.


End file.
